Recorded as Nore, Noar, Noah, Nower and possibly others, this is an English pre medieval surname. It originates from the word 'nore' meaning a shore, steep bank or cliff or from residence at a place called Nore, later known as Nore Farm in the county of Surrey, but probably in past times a village. John Attenore of Surrey being recorded in the English Place Names list of the year 1263, whilst Richard att Noure appears in the place namses list for the county of Sussex in 1353. According to the later Professor Reaney, the leading etymologist of this time and wring in 1959, it is said that in the counties of Surrey, Sussex, Devon and Middlesex, the spelling of the surname is usually to be found as Nower. The very earliest example of a recording is probably that of Walter Nore in the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1275, whilst surprisingly the spelling as Noah seems to be much later with as an example Shem Noah being recorded at Christ Church Spital fields in the city of London on September 27th 1763.

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